Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Cheap Pop and Cheap Heat from Smark Out Moment! Each week, we break down the world of professional wrestling and examine two of the polar opposite ends of the spectrum: one thing that was by far the worst thing (Cheap Heat) and the best thing (Cheap Pop) to happen over the past 7 days in sports entertainment. So, what went down this week that we loved and hated about the business?



I have to say that the really good pops are few and far in between with this empty arena malarkey. However, one particular highlight that I must mention, as short as it might have been, was the Alistair Black vs. Leon Ruff match on Raw.

I have been critical of Black in the past for having Bray Wyatt mouth i.e speaking nonsense that means nothing and goes nowhere, but this match suffered from no such problem. In fact, he said nothing at all this time, and, much to Ruff's confusion, spent the first half of the match sat on the canvas. However, like a spider laying in wait for its prey, he sprung into action the second Ruff struck. Duck, block, Black Mass. The end.

Less than ninety seconds was all it took for Black to get me interested again and, weirdly, the lack of crowd actually benefited this match, with the silence doing a lot for the mystique of Black.

Hopefully a lesson he will take note of?



Wrestling lore has it that being a member of the Hart family, by blood or extension, comes with a curse. While curse might be a bit of stretch, as it is not like one can draw concrete correlation between each individual circumstance, it would be hard to deny that bad luck has blighted many of their lives.

Sadly, this past week saw Teddy Hart keeping the legend good and alive following his arrest for attempted strangulation. If that was not bad enough, it follows two earlier arrests this year alone, and a lifetime of assorted misdemeanours.

Widely regarded as talented, but one of the most troublesome Harts, Teddy was briefly within the WWE training system, but let go over reports of an immature attitude.  The following two decades saw him working the indies, teaching, and even being a carer to a disabled boy, but, as friday night would prove, trouble always followed.

At forty years old, and looking at forty-five by the time that he can return, the chance of Teddy getting a true career comeback after this are slim. Despite his heritage, no major leagues will touch him, and only the most desperate of indies will surely take another chance on him.

Harry Smith, Tyson Kidd, and Natalya Neidhart may be living healthy and happy lives within the industry, but, for others, the curse clearly lives on.

Or, maybe Teddy Hart is just an idiot?


So there you have it, my two choices for the week. What do YOU think are the Cheap Pop and Cheap Heat this week in professional wrestling? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!